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Ideology, shared moral narratives, and the dark side of collective rationalization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

Jesse Graham*
Affiliation:
Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112. jesse.graham@eccles.utah.eduhttps://eccles.utah.edu/team/jesse-graham/

Abstract

This commentary extends the target article's useful concepts to consider collective instances of representational exchange. When groups collectively rationalize their actions, entire networks of beliefs and desires can be created and maintained in the form of shared moral narratives and system-justifying ideologies. These collective rationalization cases illustrate how adaptive advantages can come at the expense of the truth.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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